Ethical issues in vaccine trial participation by adolescents: qualitative insights on family decision making from a human papillomavirus vaccine trial in Tanzania.

Background: Research in children is essential for them to benefit from the outcomes of research but involvement must be weighed against potential harms. In many countries and circumstances, medical research legally requires parental consent until the age of 18 years, with poorly defined recommendations for assent prior to this. However, there is little research exploring how these decisions are made by families and the ethical implications of this.

From policy to practice: Experiences from the ECHO trial following revisions of the WHO medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use (MEC) guidance on DMPA-IM.

Objectives: In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) medical eligibility criteria (MEC) for contraception category for intramuscular depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-IM) was changed from MEC category 1 to 2 for women at high risk of HIV acquisition. We assessed the impact of communicating this category change among women in the Evidence for Contraceptive options and HIV Outcomes (ECHO) trial.

Study Design: ECHO was conducted in eSwatini, Kenya, South Africa and Zambia.

Looking for the future - Hope and adolescent risk behaviour in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

We investigate the relationship between hope and risky behaviour and the role of migration among young people in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We use data from a cohort of  = 5248 adolescents and young adults (AYA) aged 13-35 recruited and followed up in 2017-2019. We conducted a structured quantitative survey to assess levels of hope among AYA using a validated tool/scale.

eYoung men's experiences of violence and poverty and the relationship to sexually transmissible HIV: a cross sectional study from rural South Africa.

Background: Young (ages 18-35 years) men are inadequately engaged in HIV prevention and treatment globally, including in South Africa, increasing the likelihood of them having sexually transmissible HIV (i.e. living with HIV but with high viral loads).